NFL notes: Jets’ Leonard Williams using cold tubs to help turn up heat on field

Dennis Waszak Jr. The Associated Press

Published 5:34 pm, Sunday, August 7, 2016

Photo: The Associated Press File PHOTO

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New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams is trying to be proactive this season when taking care of his body.

New York Jets defensive tackle Leonard Williams is trying to be proactive this season when taking care of his body.

Photo: The Associated Press File PHOTO

NFL notes: Jets’ Leonard Williams using cold tubs to help turn up heat on field

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. >> Leonard Williams wants to chill out a lot more this season.

The New York Jets defensive lineman mostly avoided ice baths as a rookie, preferring to pass on the ice cube-filled tubs in which many of his teammates would sit and shiver.

“These guys, as soon as they would get out of practice, they were getting recovery,” Williams said. “I was always using the excuse that I’m young, so I’m going to recover and stuff like that.”

Oh, those know-it-all youngsters.

Williams realized toward the end of a solid rookie year that he, too, could benefit from cold tub therapy. Many athletes use ice baths to help reduce inflammation, prevent muscle stiffness and soreness, and speed recovery after vigorous workouts.

“The season was long and I started feeling it, and I’m starting now,” Williams said. “I’m not going to wait until later when I start to feel it.”

Williams finished with three sacks and 63 total tackles while starting 15 of 16 games after being selected with the No. 6 overall pick out of Southern California in 2015. The man nicknamed “Big Cat” with the puffed-out mane made an impact on Todd Bowles’ defense, teaming with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson and Damon Harrison to form one of the NFL’s most dominant lines.

He wasn’t satisfied with his promising performance and was intent on being better in his second year. That meant pinpointing some of the things he needed to improve on and taking more naps, getting massages, doing more yoga and simply relaxing when he’s not on the field.

“Just being more professional,” Williams said. “Taking care of my body, getting in the ice bath and stuff like that. It’s a long season that I wasn’t used to in college, and I could tell at the end of the season. Just being a more well-rounded player this year.”

Bills signings

The Bills also announced that they signed tight end Jimmay Mundine. Buffalo freed up space on the roster by releasing cornerback Javier Arenas and receiver Gary Chambers, and placed linebacker Kevin Reddick on waived/injured.

It’s a second chance in Buffalo for Spikes, who played for the Bills in 2014. And it’s an opportunity for him to resume his career after sitting out last season.

Spikes was sentenced to a year of probation in July 2015 after pleading guilty in a hit-and-run crash that injured three people. The crash led to Spikes being released by New England only a few weeks after he signed with the Patriots.

Official dies

Art Demmas, a longtime NFL official who worked four Super Bowls, has died. He was 82.